Surgical Navigation Systems in Massachusetts

Circinus Medical Technology (operating as Bolt Navigation) designs and manufactures the Bolt Navigation System, a handheld, surgeon-controlled surgical navigation device for spine surgery. The system employs gyroscope-on-chip technology to provide accurate real-time guidance for pedicle screw placement and other spinal instrumentation procedures. Unlike conventional navigation platforms requiring expensive capital equipment, extensive imaging, or technician support, Bolt integrates seamlessly into existing OR workflows with minimal setup and zero footprint. The device is implant-agnostic, reducing radiation exposure for surgeon and patient while eliminating the need for preoperative registration or external imaging. Bolt operates on a flexible subscription model rather than capital purchase, making it particularly accessible to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The system is designed to enhance surgical accuracy, improve workflow efficiency, reduce operative time, and lower total cost of ownership. The company targets surgeons and surgical teams across hospital systems and ASCs seeking radiation-reduced, cost-effective navigation without major infrastructure investment.

Activ Surgical is a Boston-based digital surgery company specializing in hardware-agnostic surgical software and intraoperative imaging technologies designed to enhance visualization and reduce surgical errors. The company's flagship product, ActivSight™ Intelligent Light, is FDA-cleared and integrates with existing laparoscopic and robotic surgical systems to provide real-time visualization of blood flow and tissue perfusion. ActivSight offers surgeons critical physiological insights invisible to the naked eye through dye-free ActivPerfusion™ and ActivICG™ imaging modes. The patent-protected ActiveEdge™ platform leverages augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to improve intraoperative decision-making and address preventable surgical complications. Activ Surgical has achieved significant milestones including the world's first autonomous robotic surgery of soft tissue and CE Mark approval. With $87.5 million in funding, the company operates pilot sites in major U.S. hospital networks, addressing the critical clinical need that preventable surgical errors contribute to over 400,000 deaths annually in the U.S.

ZETA Surgical Inc. designs and manufactures AI-powered frameless neuronavigation systems for cranial surgery and neuromodulation procedures. The company's core platform, REALTRACK™, delivers real-time image-guided navigation with submillimeter accuracy and live continuous surgical guidance tracking patient movement at 20 times per second. The system eliminates the need for cranial pin fixation and general anesthesia, enabling bedside procedures in operating rooms, emergency settings, and ambulatory surgical centers. Primary clinical applications include external ventricular drain (ventriculostomy) placement, brain biopsy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeting, and tumor resection such as cavernoma removal. Clinical data demonstrates 100% single-pass catheter placement success for ventriculostomy (versus 81% freehand), 100% ideal placement (versus 32% freehand), zero adverse events and revision surgeries. The TMS Navigation System achieved FDA 510(k) clearance in October 2025. ZETA's technology integrates AI-based image analysis, ultra-fast system setup, and real-time guided intervention. The company is backed by leading neurosurgeons and research institutions including Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Imperial College London. ZETA serves hospital operating rooms, neurosurgical centers, and interventional procedure suites primarily in the United States.

Lumicell, Inc. is a medical technology company founded in 2009 as a spinout from MIT that specializes in fluorescence-guided imaging systems for intraoperative tumor detection and resection. The company's core platform, LumiSystem, combines LUMISIGHT (a fluorescent optical contrast agent) with the Lumicell Direct Visualization System (DVS), a handheld real-time imaging device for surgical guidance. In April 2024, both LUMISIGHT and DVS received FDA approval as the first drug-device combination approved in over a decade for this indication. The technology is designed to help surgeons identify and remove residual cancer tissue while preserving healthy tissue during breast cancer lumpectomies and other oncologic procedures. Lumicell has validated its approach in clinical studies involving over 700 breast cancer patients and is expanding applications to solid tumors including gastric and gastrointestinal cancers.

Surgical Planning Associates (SPA) is a Boston-based medical technology company specializing in surgical navigation and preoperative planning solutions for orthopedic procedures. The company's flagship product, the HipInsight System, is the world's first FDA-cleared mixed reality navigation platform designed specifically for total hip arthroplasty. The system utilizes Microsoft HoloLens 2 mixed reality glasses to provide surgeons with real-time 3D holographic overlays of patient-specific anatomy, surgical instruments, and preoperative plans, effectively giving surgeons "x-ray vision" during surgery. HipInsight combines cloud-based preoperative planning with intraoperative guidance, achieving accuracy within 3 degrees of target anteversion and inclination. The platform integrates seamlessly into existing surgical workflows and can be deployed in under 5 minutes in the operating room. With over 11,000 hip replacement surgeries performed using SPA's technology across four continents, the company has established itself as a leader in digital surgery solutions. SPA maintains a co-marketing partnership with Zimmer Biomet and serves hospital systems and surgical centers seeking to improve implant positioning precision and surgical outcomes.

OnPoint Surgical is a medical technology company specializing in augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) guidance for spinal surgery. The company's flagship product, the OnPoint AR Spine System, received FDA 510(k) clearance in September 2023. The system uses a lightweight head-mounted display (under 4 ounces, 4K resolution) to project virtual surgical guides and 3D anatomical landmarks directly onto the surgeon's visual field during procedures. Key capabilities include real-time surgical planning, virtual implant visualization, and intraoperative decision support for pedicle and cortical screw placement, lumbar interbody cage positioning, and cervical spine procedures. The platform is vendor-agnostic, compatible with implants and instruments from all major manufacturers, and integrates seamlessly into existing surgical workflows without requiring technique modifications. OnPoint AR preserves tactile feedback—a critical advantage over robotic systems—while reducing setup time to under 5 minutes and potentially decreasing OR time by approximately 20 minutes through pre-operative CT planning.